Cretaceous sediments and paleogeography in the western part of the Cuban miogeosyncline

Abstract

The Cretaceous sediments in western part of the Cuban miogeosyncline embrace pelagic limestones, radiolarian cherts and turbidites. Rhythmically interbedded cherts and shales exhibit features pointing to their deep-sea origin. The Lower Cretaceous paleogeografic model of the miogeosyncline consist among others of a deep-water Sierra del Rosario-La Esperanza-Placetas basin system and the adjoining Camajuani, Sierra de los Organos and Escambray carbonate pelagic basins. Terrigenic material has been transported into the deep-water basins from a land located NW from the La Esperanza and Sierra del Rosario sequences. Paleogeographic changes during the Late Cretaceous time resulted from the deformation of the southern margin of the North American plate by the nappe of the eugeosynclinal Zaza zone.